Coffees produced by SCFCU member cooperatives are shade grown in low densities under the canopies of indigenous trees and enset (false banana), a staple food crop for Sidama families. The Sidama region stretches across the rugged mountains of Bensa to the valleys of Dale and Aleta Wendo – which provide a range of quality profiles that exemplify this wealth of production landscapes.

Coop Coffees began sourcing directly from SCFCU in 2009. Since then, we have had the opportunity to develop direct relationships with several of the SCFCU community based cooperatives over the years, including Shilcho, Homacho Waeno, Talamo, Bona, Abela Galuko and Fero Cooperatives.

During CC’s most recent visit to Sidama region we met Khami Tsacaleja, 56-year-old and founding member of the SCFCU Fero Cooperative. Khami inherited his farm from his father and has been working it these last 36 years. His father started the plot by planting the trees – but Khami has continued with all the field maintenance. He has prepared compost, planted soil retention barriers with vetiver grass and other useful crops; he has managed the pruning, stumping, and hoeing and other tasks necessary to guarantee good yields and superior quality.

“The cooperative serves us well,” he said. “We can either sell our coffee to collect the money right away, or we can sell the coffee and keep our money stored in the cooperative. This works like a kind of savings account for us.”

“Once the harvest has finished and the cooperative sees how well it has done, we also get a second payment,” he explained. “This money comes at a time when we need additional income to get through the coming lean months (between harvests).”

Members of SCFCU have been growing and processing fine Sidamo type coffee for more than 30 years. Overall, Sidama Union produces some 10,000 tons of high quality Organic Arabica beans per year, of which nearly 95% is washed. SCFCU has been certified by Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO) since 2003, supporting their role as the bridge to develop producer-buyer relations and direct export OF members’ extraordinary, high quality coffee to international, gourmet markets.

Education, health care, and access to water in Ethiopia are all extremely limited. Despite the country’s coffee exports accounting for nearly 60 percent of the national GDP, many coffee farmers and their families live in dire poverty. Education, health care, and access to water are all still very limited in Ethiopia. HG has a special relationship with farmers there thanks to Project Ethiopia, a long-term partnership via our sister nonprofit, On the Ground. Project Ethiopia focuses on raising awareness on the importance of education and works toward the development of schools for young children in Ethiopia.

Coffee waste represents the most abundant waste in Ethiopia, this study aims to isolate, identify and characterize yeast from coffee waste in order to utilize in the biotechnological process. 25 merged coffee waste samples were collected from Sidama and Gedio zone. Yeast strain was cultured on yeast peptone dextrose and Biolog universal yeast agar media. Pure yeast cells were suspended in sterile water at 49+ turbidity, 100 µ L and transferred into 96 wells of the biolog yeast micro Plate and incubated at 26°C for 24 to 72 h and read by the Micro Station Reader at a single wavelength of 590 nm, results were recorded and processed for identification by micro log3 software ver. 4.20.05. Biolog microstation acceptable result ≥ 75% Probability and ≥ 0.5 similarity index value identified 5 yeast species, Hanseiaspora valbyensis, (100%PROB,0.707SIM,), Hyphopichia burtonii A (98%PROB,0.060SIM), Rhodotorula hylophila (98%PROB, 0.060SIM), Rhodotrula aurantiaca A (100% PROB, 0.505SIM) and Pichia amenthionina var. menthionina, (PROB 96% SIM,0.714). There was no report on yeasts associated with coffee waste in Ethiopia for utilization in biotechnological process. Therefore characterization of yeasts is very important for industrial and environmental application.

Sidama

Follow by Email

About Worancha ወራንቻ

Worancha blog is a private media outlet. Its major objective is playing significant roles in minimizing the gap of information flow in the Sidama country. Accordingly, it has been gathering, organizing, analyzing and disseminating credible, accurate and balanced news and news genres. Besides, it has been contributing an immense role in peace building, democratization and sustainable economic development in Sidama.